Last year’s Sun Met winner Oh Susanna, generally available at 13-2 and 7-1, took Justin Snaith’s breath away with a spectacular gallop on Saturday morning.

The champion trainer said: “She worked the house down. She went 1 000m and she would have gone another 1 000. She wouldn’t stop and we battled to pull her up. She was super-impressive and on what I saw there is not much in it between her and Do It Again. She has gone to another level.”

Anton Marcus tried out his big race mount, second favourite Rainbow Bridge, last Thursday. “He did pace-work over 1 200m and Anton was happy with the horse,” said Eric Sands who has mapped out his programme for the final few days: “Rainbow Bridge will do pace-work on Monday and Tuesday and on Thursday he will do short, sharp work over two and a half to three furlongs.”

World Sports Betting has opened a market on the winning trainer. Snaith (“I am leaving no stone unturned and I still have almost a week of sleepless nights to go”) is 9-20 to win with one of his four runners, Sands 15-4, Andre Nel (Head Honcho and Kampala Campari) 7-1, Sean Tarry (Legal Eagle) 14-1 and Brett Crawford (Undercover Agent) 18-1.

Hat Puntano is 2-1 favourite to finish last closely followed by Milton at 22-10. If you want to take a chance and believe that something could go seriously wrong with Do It Again you can get 150-1 that he will trail in with the rest of the field in front of him.

Harold Crawford is making slow but steady progress in Cape Town’s Groote Schuur Hospital as he battles to recover from the stroke he suffered a week ago. It happened during Monday afternoon and, according to daughter and assistant Michelle Rix, he collapsed and was found lying on the floor.

Apparently the stroke was caused by a clot in his carotid artery and the doctors operated on him to ease the pressure on his brain. “He has paralysis in his left arm and left side,” said his daughter. “He is having physio every day and they will do further tests this week but he is getting better.”

Crawford, 66, had the biggest win of his near 43-year training career when the now Mauritius-based Perovskia won last year’s Drill Hall. His stable has expanded since Michelle joined the team and set about attracting more owners. “My father is a strong old guy and I am sure he will pull through,” she said.

By Michael Clower